1996 - One Night in Paris

For its First Season. Super League would run from 30th March to the end of August. The second games were to be played on Good Friday and the third set of games on Easter Monday. After that all games would be played at the weekend, except for that of 27th April which was designated the Challenge Cup weekend. At the end of the season, the teams finishing in the top four places would move into a playoff semi-finals on September 1st. The format was first against fourth and second against third for the Premiership title, with the final being held between the two semi final winners at Old Trafford on the 8th.

Then the top four would then face the top four from the Australian Super League clubs for the World Club Challenge Cup, with two Quarter final ties being played in the UK and the other two in Australia. This would be followed by the semi-finals a week later, the final being held on 28th September. In the UK.

Gary Hetherington had been building up his full-time squad during the last Championship season. Although a number of players were released from the forty utilised during that season, his first team squad now comprised the following players:

• Mark Aston
• Paul Carr
• Michael Cook
• Josiaia Dakuitoga
• Anthony Farrell
• Mark Gamson
• Ian Hughes
• Dean Lawford
• Danny McAllister
• Richard Price
• Ryan Sheridan
• Waisale Sovatabua
• Lawrence Taylor
• Malaki Yasa
• Paul Broadbent
• Richard Chapman
• Matt Crowther
• Paul Dixon
• Jean Marc Garcia
• Andy Hay
• Dale Laughton
• Johnny Lawless
• David Mycoe
• Keith Senior
• Bright Sodje
• Lynton Stott
• Darren Turner

There was also one further addition to the squad as Hetherington recruited Danny Grimley from Australian side Paramatta.

The club also recruited a new coach to add to their team, Australian Gary Grenke to focus on helping players with their individual skills. He joined the other two first team coaches, Simon Worsnop, who was focusing on the players physical condition and player coach Mick Cook.

Academy games would be run concurrent with the twenty Super League fixtures throughout the season.

Other changes were the introduction of squad numbers for players which would appear on their shirts with their names. Clubs also operated under a series of financial rules that specified spending levels in different areas of club operations, demanded that clubs' accounts be submitted monthly for monitoring. A salary cap restricted clubs from spending more than 40% of their income on players.

Looking forward to the first season of Super League, Hetherington believed that:

In the weeks leading up to the Eagles appearance in Paris, the Club, with the help of the Sheffield Star ran a series of articles and events to encourage as many of Sheffield’s fans to travel to the game. A French evening was held a week before the game which was attended by over 400 fans, players and club officials. Nearly 600 fans travelled on transport provided by the club, the majority arriving the day before the Friday evening kick-off, with three coaches setting off at 5 am on the day, carrying 150 fans, arriving just after the kick off, due to traffic issues around the ground. After a night’s rest they would then travel back to Sheffield, whilst the others would experience a day at Euro Disney in freezing conditions.

Commenting on the Eagles buildup for the match. Gary Hetherington advised the local press that:

As the big day arrived, the Eagles players found that they would be performing not only in front of Sky TV viewers, but a crowd of 17,873 in the all seater stadium, the largest number they had played in front of, the majority of them new to the game. In that crowd were around 1,500 Eagles supporters. The pitch itself was not the most suitable of playing surfaces, as it was a little short of grass and badly rutted.

The game was also the first to use the assistance a video referee who would be used if the on the field referee asked for assistance during the game, with the big screen visible to all of the crowd being used to make any decision. With fireworks exploding as the players entered the field it led Paul Broadbent to comment, a few years later that: 

With the Eagles as the bookies favourites to win, the first to score were Paris, through former Eagle Freddie Banquet. But when the referee referred it to his video counterpart, the try was disallowed. Minutes later he scored again, the try this time being allowed.

The Eagles adopted a careful approach at the start of the game and began to take control. They were soon on the scoreboard and soon in 10-4 9m the lead, after tries from Dean Lawford and Andy Hay. Ryan Sheridan nearly added a third, but was tackled close to the Paris line. With their hosts scoring as the interval approached, both sides ended the half ten points each. But Lawford had had to leave the field after a serious leg injury.

As the second half progressed, Paris started to build up a lead. By midway through the half they held an 18-14 lead, Sheffield’s try coming from Matt Crowther. Paris moved even further ahead, before Paul Carr, in his one hundredth appearance for the Eagles scored. Keith Senior scored the last try of the game to add a bit of respectability to the result. With the Sheffield kickers, Crowther and Mark Aston converting only two of the five Eagles tries, the side lost the game 30-24, the three missed attempts the difference between the sides.

Commenting on the result, Hetherington believed that:

Prior to the Eagles first home game against Challenge Cup finalists Bradford Bulls, held on Good Friday, the club decided for each and every home game they would target specific areas with leaflets advertising the game in an attempt to increase match attendances, in addition to offering a number of new attractions and offers. 

50,000 leaflets were posted to households in both South east Sheffield and the Rotherham area. A media campaign was run involving both Sheffield radio stations, Radio Sheffield and Radio Hallam, the Star and free papers throughout Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire. The result was a crowd of 5.202 significantly up on the previous game’s attendance of 2,653 against the Bulls in early January.

Those that attended experienced a pre-match entertainment that included an Academy side 30-28 victory over Huddersfield, as well as music, a fairground organ, air raid sirens, dancing, fireworks, and parachutists delivering the match ball

With injuries to Joe Dakuitoga, Dean Lawford and Danny McAllister, the Eagles had to field a changed side from that which had played in Paris. Mark Aston, who had himself just returned from injury, controlled the game throughout, kicking six conversions and two penalties, as well as a touchdown, a performance that won him man of the match. Other Eagles try scorers in the 40-24 victory were Lawless, Broadbent, Sheridan, Senior and Hay.

Pleased with the result, Hetherington told the press that:

The only thing the Bulls won that day was the egg and spoon race prior to the game.

Three days later the Eagles travelled to Cumbria to face Workington Town on Easter Monday. They were ahead after four minutes from a Garcia converted try, who then crossed the hosts line again four minutes later, to give Sheffield a ten point lead. Soon after, as Workington attacked the Eagles line, Sodje intercepted the ball and ran eighty metres to score. On nineteen minutes Senior had a walk in, due to slack marking, followed by an Aston penalty that gave the visitors a comfortable twenty point lead. Workington then managed to pull back a couple of tries and penalties, to reduce the lead to six points at half time.

On the restart, a McAllister try increased the lead further to 26-14 through poor defending, but undeterred Workington scored to bring the game within a converted try. A penalty soon after reduced the visitors lead even further, yet after a few tense moments in the game, it was the Eagles who came out on top, first with Sodje’s second try, then Sheridan slipped through the hosts defence to score. With Workington reduced to twelve men in the 71st minute, and Aston’s subsequent penalty goal, the Eagles finished the game in style. Three tries in nine minutes, Cook, Farrell and Hay the scorers, ensured that Sheffield took the points, 54-22. The victory took the Eagles to fourth place in the embryo Super League table.

The following weekend they faced London Broncos at Don Valley. To encourage a better crowd, 17,000 leaflets were distributed in the Hillsborough area, and a ticket deal was also offered to Sheffield United season ticket holders. Two hours of pre-match entertainment was put on for the fans, including both Alliance and Academy Teams games. Whilst the Alliance side beat their London counterparts 37-14, which put them top of the Alliance table, the Academy lost 26-17 to Swinton.

Fifth placed London, were virtually a team of Australians, who in their last encounter against the Eagles at the Valley had run out winners comprehensively beating Sheffield 42-10. A crowd of 3,888, a marginal improvement of the previous season’s attendance saw a first half where defences dominated. The Eagles were the first to score through Keith Senior with three minutes elapsed, with Garcia doubling the score twenty minutes later. London clawed their way back to tie the game at 12 all by the half time hooter.

Straight after the restart Sheridan scored in the corner. McAllister followed with a converted try to take the lead to 22-12. The Broncos managed to pull the game to within four points, before a 25 metre sprint by Lawless set up Senior’s second try. An Aston penalty with nine minutes to go, followed by a Broadbent try in the last minute secured a victory for the Eagles. 34-18.

With the Australian Super League foundering, a number of Australian players found themselves without a club to play for. Consequently Hetherington was able to add to his squad by signing Danny Grimley,

With three wins out of four, the Eagles next game was against winless Leeds at Headingley. Finding themselves ahead 10-6 through tries from Garcia and Lawless, as the game approached the interval, a number of handling errors let Leeds in to take the lead, 16-10. Leeds then went on to dominate the second half winning the game 36-22, the Eagles points coming through converted tries from Lawford and Hughes.

With a weekend off due to the Challenge Cup Final, the Eagles found themselves in third position at the end of April.

Their opening game of May was a home fixture against Castleford Tigers who had won only two of their first five fixtures and were desperate to win at Don Valley. A crowd of nearly 5,500, a significant improvement on the 2,500 that attended the previous season, were entertained by Motown legend Edwin Starr prior to the game, with other pre-match entertainment including the Alliance side’s 40-14 victory over Dewsbury and the presentation of medals to the Hillsborough U13 squad who had won the West Riding Division One title.

With Sheffield’s boxing legend, Prince Naseem Hamed presenting the match ball to the referee, the Eagles were ahead after only three minutes through a Sodje try. With Aston having an off day kicking, with a success rate of two from seven attempts, the Eagles struggled against a desperate opponent, They led 10-6 at the interval, the Eagles other try coming through Farrell. As the game progressed into the second half with the Eagles dominating possession, against the run of play, Castleford took the lead on 55 minutes. Yet tries from Turner and Senior, the latter’s being scored with fifteen minutes to go, the Eagles hung on to win 20-12, only their fourth victory against the Tigers in fourteen games.

For their next game the Sheffield side travelled to Warrington Wolves. In a game dominated by Iestyn Harris who scored 24 points, it was a match that the Eagles didn’t play well in, finding themselves behind at half time 26-10, with the visitors’ tries being scored by Hay and Sodje, but only a single conversion from Aston. It was another off day for the kicker as he only managed to score two out of a possible five attempts. With their hosts dominating most of the play after the restart, it was only late tries from Sheridan and Senior, in the last five minutes, adding to an earlier try in the half from Lawless, that added any respectability to the final score line. The 36-26 defeat resulted in the Eagles dropping to fifth in the League.

As a consequence of Sheffield’s good start to the season, Paul Broadbent and Johnny Lawless were called up to the England squad to play Wales, whilst Dean Lawford also got the call to appear in the GB Academy side to face France.

Oldham Bears were the visitors the following week end to Don Valley. The Bears style of play had seen their players being punished in earlier games for their indiscipline. It was the same during this game. After surviving an early onslaught from their visitors the Eagles took control on a damp chilly day. Following Hay’s and Lawless’ defence crumbling runs, Senior scored the first try. Then, with an Oldham player sinbinned, it was Sodje’s turn to touch down. Straight after half time it was Aston’s turn in the sin bin, which Oldham took advantage of by scoring their first try of the game.

Further tries followed from Lawless, Sheridan and Senior, with Oldham scoring one in response, put the Eagles in a commanding lead and with Aston scoring a late penalty, only his third goal out of seven attempts, the Sheffield side ran out 23-10 winners, consolidating their fourth spot. The game however was marred by two red cards for persistent offences by Oldham players, and Darren Turner was also sent off for retaliation.

Ten days later the Eagles travelled to second placed Wigan Warriors, who were on a six match unbeaten run. It was the worst performance of the season so far, as the Warriors scored nine tries to Sheffield’s single Lawless try. The 50-6 defeat saw the Eagles drop to sixth place.

An injury decimated Eagles next took the field at Halifax at the start of June. Richard Price, who had so far had a very successful season with the Alliance, was called up for his first game with First Team, after being top scorer in the Alliance’s 62-17 victory against Batley Bulldogs.

The Eagles were soon ahead running in two tries in the first thirteen minutes, both claimed by Garcia. The Blue Sox managed to pull the two tries back, but they were unconverted. Sovatabua sixty metre dash to the line, with Aston converting the try pulled the momentum back to Sheffield, but Halifax again penetrated the Eagles defence to score a converted try just on half-time, restricting the visitors lead to 18-14.

Halifax dominated the second half as the Eagles lost their way and their discipline. They soon were ahead 24-18 and, although Crowther’s first try levelled the scores, with the sin-binning of Sodje and then Senior been put on report by the referee, (for which he later escaped a ban, but was fined £100 by the disciplinary committee), Halifax were on top. They established a 33-24 lead, before a further late try from Crowther took the visitors to within three points,, The 33-30 defeat led to Gary Hetherington heavily criticise his side for their unprofessional performance.

Their next opponents were unbeaten league leaders and Challenge Cup holders St Helens at Cardiff Arms Park the following week end. The game had been moved there as part of Super League’s expansion plans. The aim was to promote League in a Union hot bed and as part of the prematch entertainment South Wales Dragons played Carlisle Border Raiders, winning 37-18. The RFL later decided in July to fast track South Wales to Super League.

Free travel was provided for the Eagles season ticket holders, with heavily discounted travel subsidies for other ticketholders. Around a 1,000 Eagles supporters took up the offer to travel to South Wales to join a crowd of over 6,700 on the evening.

The Eagles scored after 59 seconds as Aston’s kick off was fumbled and Senior pounced.. Within minutes Sovatabua’s fifty metre break nearly resulted in a second try, but the Saints defence held. They gradually started to exert their skills and power as the game progressed and although the Eagles defence was defiant, gaps started to appear that the St Helens players exploited. With nearly half an hour gone, the Eagles were behind 18-6, before Dixon managed to crash over the line to reduce the arrears. Yet Saints added to their score, minutes later, to go in at half time 24-12 in front. 

Immediately after the restart, Sovatabua scored his try, but before the next Eagles score with only a quarter of an hour of the match remaining, St Helens had touched down three more times, against a sole Aston penalty, to lead 42-20. Hughes try reduced the lead to sixteen points, with Crowther making amends for an earlier pass that had been intercepted and led to a Saints score, by touching down on 75 minutes. A late St Helens field goal ensured that the visitors would take the points, 42-32, maintaining their unbeaten league run.

With the St Helens result, the Eagles 1996 Super League Campaign hit the mid term, having played each side once. Of those games, five had been at home, of which four had been won, whilst of the six away fixtures, only one had been won. In reaching sixth in the league, the Eagles had scored 311 points and conceded 314. Johnny Lawless had been the player of the season so far, but Paul Carr and Ryan Sheridan had had long-term injuries that could keep them out for the remainder of the season.

In his mid-term report to fans, Hetherington commented that: 

Gary Hetherington’s aim for the rest of the season was to squeeze into the top four and not fall below their top six position.

The next game was the return fixture against Paris St Germain. It was designated a special Ladies day, which meant they and Under 16s could watch the game for free. A crowd of 5,350 witnessed the usual pre-match entertainment that had become the norm for home games, as well as a Parachute Display Team. The game was played in stamina testing temperatures which produced thirteen tries but lacked sparkle because of the torrid conditions, more reminiscent of the South of France than a normal Sheffield Summer.

With 90 seconds gone, the Eagles were ahead through a Grimley try, who broke his thumb as he did, adding to Sheffield’s long term injury list. Farrell was the next to score, giving the Eagles a twelve point lead until the 21st minute when Paris managed to pull the game back to just six points difference. Yet tries from Sodje and two from Stott, who was playing instead of the injured Garcia(who had picked his injury up representing France against England in a mid week game at Gateshead), saw the home side ahead 26-6 at the break.

The second half resumed as the first with Sodje second try and Stott completing his hat-trick after only ten minutes of the half. Two further tries around the hour mark, Farrell’s second and Senior’s first, put the Eagles in an unassailable position 46-8, before two late tries from Paris added a bit of respectability for them Yet Sheffield had the last say with Senior securing his second a minute from the final hooter. The Eagles victory was built on good individual performances but there was a lack of consistent team play. It was Paris’ ninth defeat of the season. They would have to wait for another four games before they actually won again.

Prior to the game, Richard Price had decided to leave the club due to lack of first team opportunities afforded to him, signing for Batley for a small fee of around £2,500.

The next match in June was an away fixture at Bradford Bulls, and like its predecessors it brought yet another defeat. After Sheffield secured an early lead through Farrell, it was Bradford that who scored two tries to take a 12-6 lead. Crowther levelled the score following a Broadbent offload and a 35 metre dash to the line. The teams swapped tries, with Garcia touching down Sheffield’s, before Bradford took a decisive lead. scoring three more tries, to go in at half time 36-18 ahead. Despite Senior scoring soon after the resumption, it was Bradford who maintained their pressure as they looked to move into third place in the league, victors by 64-22. 

The month ended with a home tie against bottom club Workington Town. In the pre-match entertainment, the Academy beat Keighley 32-10, whilst the Alliance had won against Workington, 76-4 earlier in the week. Mal Yasa scored five tries in the match, whilst fellow Fijian Jo Dakuitoga notched up six.

The main game, watched by 3,468 spectators, an improvement on the 2,000 for the same game last season, saw Town take a 2-0 lead in a mistake riddled first half with a fierce wind, that caused many missed passes. Sodje fumbled an early try chance and Aston fluffed a penalty, struggling to master nightmare kicking conditions. But the Eagles managed to take the lead with a Chapman try and Aston conversion, to go in at half time 6-4 ahead. The additional Town points came from a penalty, resulting from a mass brawl on the pitch, with Danny McAllister and a Workington player being sent into the sin bin.

After a half time talking to, it was the Eagles who finally took control of the match, with Ian Hughes scoring just after the restart. This was followed by Senior’s thirteenth touch down of the season as Workington’s defensive resolve evaporated. Broadbent’s offload enabled Crowther to score after he ran 30 metres, whilst Chapman secured his second. It was then Garcia’s turn to score a classy try and with Aston converting them all, it was game set and match, even though Workington managed two further tries of their own. The 32-16 victory maintained Sheffield in sixth spot, as June came to an end.

This was the last Eagles game at Don Valley until the end of August, as the next three home games had been rescheduled to Bramall Lane.

Prior to the Eagles once more appearing at the Bramall Lane were they had beaten the then World Champions, Widnes, they had to travel to London to face the Broncos at the Valley, Charlton Athletic’s ground. With eight of the players injured, they had to field a team of replacements. Playing in front Sky’s cameras, they were easily beaten, losing 42-8. Captain Paul Broadbent scored the visitors only try of the game, with Mark Aston kicking two goals. Their next away win continued to elude them.

The injury crisis also hit both the Alliance and Academy teams. Whilst the Alliance had beaten York 34-23 earlier in the week, they lost to leaders Widnes 20-12 at the weekend. The Academy, however beat London 488, having lost to Swinton 42-26 the previous week end.

Bramall Lane was a much wider pitch than Don Valley, a factor that the Eagles had to deal with in their first game there the following week end. They faced Leeds, who they had only beaten three times in fourteen encounters. Leeds were having a poor season by their standards, languishing in tenth position , just three points off the bottom. Like the Eagles their season so far had lacked any form of consistency, having won only four out of the fifteen games played. Both sides were desperate for a win. A crowd of 5,265 watched the game, with only 350 away supporters and a thousand more than had attended their previous encounter in the Centenary Season.

The Eagles dominated the first half , with McAllister the first to break the Leeds defence to touchdown. This was followed by a Broadbent off load to Turner, with Stot’ try ensuring a 16-0 half time lead, scoring after a fifty metre run to the line. Aston only managed to convert one of the tries, but added a penalty during the half. Leeds left the field looking like a team that was already well beaten. But with injuries to Hay and Dixon, the Eagles second-half options were limited. 

As Leeds began to dominate the second half, Sheffield’s handling errors did not help their cause. They scored 31 points in that half, to the Eagles 22, which had come from tries from Garcia, Turner and a second from Stott. As the game reached it’s closing minutes in a last gasp attack, Senior crossed the Leeds line to score the winning try. The 34-21 victory kept Sheffield in touch with the play-off places with six games left.

However the trip to Castleford in their next game, saw yet another reversal, albeit a narrow one. In a very close encounter the Eagles were ahead 31-30 with two minutes to go. Sheffield’s points had come from two tries from Sovatabua, with one each from Cook, Senior and Laughton, Aston kicking five goals and Lawford a drop goal. As the full time hooter was about to sound, a sweeping across the field move led to their hosts take the match points with a converted try, 36-31.

With their topsy turvy form the Eagles could not afford to lose their next home game at the Lane against Warrington Wolves who were in fourth place, three points ahead of Sheffield. But the Eagles had only managed seven victories in the eighteen games they had played against the visitors, They were also without eight First Team regulars, although they did welcome back a masked Paul Carr who had been out for a couple months with a jaw injury. The game was the first of three consecutive home games, which the Eagles needed to win if they stood any chance in achieving their play-off goal. The game attracted 4,000 spectators, a improvement on the Eagles last home fixture against Warrington which had attracted 3,496.

Having lost in a close battle at Warrington, the Eagles made sure of victory in another closely fought game, with tries from Crowther, Stott, Aston, Sovatabua and Hay. Aston succeeded in four of his attempts at goals, to take the tie, 28-22. The victory moved them to within three points of the fourth play-off spot, keeping alive their target of a play-off finish. Analysing the game, Hetherington told the media that:

The Academy lost to Dewsbury 28-16 in the pre-match entertainment, after losing to Widnes 40-20 the previous week, whilst the injury decimated Alliance team managed to beat League leaders Featherstone, having lost in the previous weeks to London, 23-10 and York 27-24, This put them in second place, two points behind leaders Widnes.

Second placed Wigan were the last opponents at Bramall Lane. They were not the dominant force that they once were in the game, but they still had a number of world class players. The Eagles had only won one of their previous sixteen encounters, so were not favourites for victory, particularly with the size of their injury list. The crowd at the Lane of 5,103 was again an improvement on the last crowd to see the visitors play the Eagles at Don Valley in the Centenary Season of 4.639

Behind but still in touch at half time, 18-8, the Eagles were blown away after the restart, managing only a single Garcia try, as the visitors romped to a 54-12 victory. Commenting on the heavy defeat, Hetherington informed supporters that:

The Alliance surprisingly lost to Dewsbury 30-15 prior to the main match.

The final home game of Super League I was a return to winning ways at Don Valley. The opponents Halifax, had beaten Sheffield on seven previous occasions out of eleven, but Sheffield had yet to lose a game at the Valley. In anticipation of another win, the crowd of over 3.200 was more than double that of their previous encounter at Sheffield.

With Ryan Sheridan returning from long-term injury, a hat trick of early tries rocked the visitors, with Ian Hughes scoring after five minutes, following an Aston penalty on three minutes. Garcia was the next to score on ten minutes, following a twenty metre sprint. Stott touched down on 16 minutes taking a smart off load of Hughes. But then Halifax hit back monopolising play to take a 20-18 lead, before an Aston penalty levelled the scores at half time.

Just after the restart a Carr try put the hosts ahead again, but Halifax responded soon after to take a two point lead, as the game entered the last quarter. With tries from Senior, a second from Stott and Lawless the Eagles dominated play, The only points for the visitors coming from a penalty. The 42-28 victory gave Sheffield a slim chance of making the play-offs, but that was dependant on how teams above them performed in the last two matches of the season.

To reward the supporters, they were invited to a post-match BBQ. to celebrate the end of a successful home campaign.

Those two games were away to league leaders St Helens and ninth place Oldham. The Eagles were never in the game at St Helens as they succumbed to a twelve try blitz. Behind 34-2, Sheffield’s points coming from an Aston penalty, they ended the game with a 68-2 defeat. Commenting on the result, Hetherington conceded that:

With no further chance of securing a play-off spot, a lacklustre Eagles travelled to Oldham Bears for the final match of the season. Despite tries from Lawless, Senior, McAllister and Senior, all four converted by Aston, to which he added a field goal, they lost 34-25 to the Bears. With the defeat they also dropped into seventh spot, having held the sixth position for 12 rounds of the season.

In the end of season play-offs, the final was fought out between Champions St Helens and runners up Wigan.. Wigan won the Premiership Trophy 44-14, but the planned end of season competition between the top four of the European Super League and the Australian Super League never transpired.

The decision of the Australian Clubs to breakaway and form a Super League competition had become embroiled in in litigation in the Australian Courts, The outcome had been a ban on any competition until the year 2000. Although an appeal had been submitted challenging that ban, no decision had been reached as the European Super League competition Premiership play-offs had been concluded.

Whilst they had won all but two of their home fixtures, not losing a game at Don Valley, they had only managed to win only one of their eleven away fixtures, and that was at bottom club , relegated Workington Town. As a consequence they secured only 20 points in their first Super League, five short of their target of the fourth play off spot. However the long-term injuries to key players had not helped their cause.

Home crowds were significantly improved during the season. An average of 4,382 attended, an increase of 31% on the Centenary season. The Super League average was 6,468, a 10% improvement. The pre-match entertainment and offers had certainly had some impact on improving crowds. The relaunch of the Young Members club as the Claw Club had had a positive impact on attracting younger supporters and their families, whilst the introduction of Eagles Club Call had improved communications with new and old fans alike. The Season also saw the launch of the Eagles Supporters Fanzine, The Eagle’ Eye.

Top points scorer, by virtue of being top goal scorer with 86, was Mark Aston with 181, from 21 appearances. His nearest rival was top try scorer, Keith Senior, who appeared in every game with 17 tries, followed by Jean Marc Garcia with 13.

Development activities between the club, schools and the wider community, continued to grow and expand, despite the move from winter to summer rugby.

The new Eyrie Experience was trialled with three local schools. It included a tour of Don Valley Stadium, lessons and Rugby League coaching during term time, before it was offered to local amateur clubs during the summer. There was a very positive response from participants, The club formed an alliance with Doncaster Health Authority and DMBCSDU to develop the DASH programme designed to promote sports at a grass roots level, as well as address healthy lifestyles and crime prevention using Eagles players as role models amongst other local celebrities.

From August it was decided to run an Under 16 Sheffield Eagles/Eagles partnership team in a new Rugby League Council initiative. With Mark Aston as coach, the team was placed in a pool that included teams from Leeds, Castleford, Featherstone, Doncaster and London.

There was also a further Increase in the number of schools participating in next season’s SW Yorks Schools Comp. 9 at U13, 10 at U14, at U15 and at U16 – 35 sides in all an increase of three.

However for the Eagles to survive the six months before the start of Super League II the club had to find new financial sources and expand existing initiatives like Superloot, as no new money would be available from the Sky contract until the start of the new season 

As with previous seasons the Eagles saw First Team players leave for pastures new:

• Josiaia Dakuitoga (Penrith)
• Richard Chapman (Dewsbury)
• Anthony Farrell (Leeds)
• Ian Hughes Wakefield)
• Richard Price (Batley)
• Malaki Yasa (Fiji)
• Danny Grimley (Adelaide)
• Michael Cook (Bramley)
• Mark Gamson (Keighley)
• Dean Lawford (Leeds)
• Ryan Sheridan (Leeds)

Ian Hughes had been at the club for six seasons, playing in 158 games and scoring 35 tries. Ryan Sheridan had also been at the club for six seasons, rising from the ranks of the Academy and Alliance, and despite periods out with injury he had made 98 appearances, scoring 40 tries and a single drop goal.

Stalwart Mick Cook had been at the Eagles for ten seasons, latterly as player coach. During that time he had made 260 appearances, mainly at hooker, scoring 22 tries.

Mark Gamson had been one of Gary Hetherington’s first signings and as his Testimonial Year ended, he decided to move on after 12 seasons. During his tenure he had made a record 339 appearances, contributing 258 points to the Eagles cause from 64 tries and a single goal.

Anthony Farrell, the mainstay of the Eagles pack had made 160 Appearances for the club since his transfer from Huddersfield eight seasons previously, scoring 35 tries throughout his Eagles career

The other surprise departure was that of founder Gary Hetherington a decision that came completely out of the blue for Eagles fans, but the other co-founder, his wife Kath, remained a Director at the club. He had been in talks with a West Yorkshire businessman, Paul Caddick about buying the Leeds Rugby League club, which was in financial difficulties. Leeds had finished tenth in the Super League and at one stage looked as though they would be relegated.

When their offer was taken up by the Leeds Board, Hetherington had to resign from his roles of Chairman and Coach at the Eagles to take up the role of Chief Executive at Leeds. He also had to dispose of his shares in the club, as he was in the process of buying into a substantial share of the new Leeds club.

The Eagles Board then approached Phil Larder, the Great Britain coach, to become their coach.

In 1982, Larder had been appointed Director of Coaching for the Rugby Football League, He overhauled the coach education system in rugby league and his work saw the sport in Britain become more professional.

He later coached Widnes from 1992 to 1993, Keighley from 1994 to 1996 before coming to the Eagles for the start of the in 1997. He was also assistant coach to Mal Reilly on the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour, when the Lions won the Third test in Sydney their first test win over Australia since the second test of the 1978 Kangaroo Tour and remained Great Britain's assistant coach until the end of 1994.

He coached England at the 1995 World Cup where they defeated Australia in the opening game at Wembley but ultimately lost the World Cup final to the Kangaroos. Larder was coach of Great Britain on their disastrous 1996 Tour of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. The Lions did not win a match in New Zealand, and several players had to return home early to save costs.

Joining him as part of the coaching team was John Kear. After playing for Castleford for ten years, Kear had stints working as a conditioner for Castleford, as head coach of Bramley(1992), working in the player performance department of the Rugby Football League, head coach of Paris St Germain and assistant coach to both England and Great Britain, before he took over the assistant coach role at the Eagles

As the Eagles awaited the start of Super League II, many fans seriously wondered with the departure of Gary Hetherington, whether the new coach and his staff would continue to bring success to Don Valley.